Okanagan Crush Pad opened in 2011 to provide a home base for Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie’s original wine label Haywire, and to serve as a custom crush facility. Matt Dumayne has been the chief winemaker since 2013 and Craig Pingle is the General Manager.
Today the winery makes its own wines exclusively, under the labels Haywire, Narrative, Free Form, and Bizou + Yukon.
- Free Form wines are made from organic grapes and native yeast and are free of additives.
- Haywire wines are rich in texture with a lush mid-palate, balanced acidity and lively and bright berry flavours.
- Narrative is a collection of wines that tells the story of what is most exciting about the Okanagan Valley: geological and climatic diversity in a wine region that spans 120km from north to south.
- Bizou + Yukon – What started as a pandemic project to cheer everyone up with the antics of the Great Pyrenees dogs that work the farm, the Bizou +Yukon wines are the wineries outlet for grab-and-go wines in “pooch pouch” or cans.
Up next are the winemaking and tasting notes for the six new wines.
Free Form Riesling 2019 ($34.99)
Made from certified organic Riesling from Garnet Valley Ranch, where the grapes were fermented in clay amphora with native yeast and then aged in stainless steel. The wine was filtered before bottling.
Alc: 12.5% | pH: 2.54 | TA: 11 | RS: 9.9
Light aromas of apple blossom and citrus. A rich fruit-forward wine with crisp acidity and rounded mouthfeel with flavours of green apple, lime zest and a wet stone mineral backbone. 90 Points.
Haywire Garnet Valley Ranch Chardonnay 2020 ($34.99)
The Chardonnay grapes were whole cluster pressed, with no juice settling or additives. The wine went through natural fermentation in concrete and stainless steel then full malolactic conversion before further ageing for ten months on lees. The wine was then clarified by settling in a tank and bottled unfiltered and allowed further bottle ageing prior to release.
Alc: 12.5% | pH: 3.47 | TA: 5.3 | RS: 0.5
This is a style of Chardonnay where the fruit does the talking and not the oak! A lovely nose of pineapple and citrus. Flavours of pineapple, stone fruit, and melon with a refreshing hint of grapefruit on the finish. The dry chardonnay has a lean mouthfeel. 91 points
Free Form Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – Organic ($44.99)
This organic Cabernet Sauvignon from Osoyoos encountered no additives or oak ageing. The fruit was destemmed and put into stainless open tops. Native fermentation started spontaneously, and grapes were punched down twice a day by hand. After 11 months of concrete ageing post basket pressing the wine was settled naturally and bottled.
Alc: 12.5% | pH: 3.57 | TA: 6.8 | RS: 0.2
Aromas of cherry and raspberry. The full-bodied wine has flavours of blackberry, cassis and cloves. The ripe firm tannins and smooth mouthfeel lead to a long delicious finish. 92 Points
Narrative Malbec 2019 ($35.99)
The Malbec was sourced from the Cabana Vineyard on the Osoyoos lakefront. Fermented in Nico Velo concrete tanks and aged on its lees in concrete for 10 months for a minimal intervention wine. The warm southern days combined with the cooling lake effect have produced a rich and luscious wine with great retention of natural acidity and freshness.
Alc: 13.6% | pH: 3.69 | TA: 5 | RS: 0.2
Aromas of red berries, violet and white pepper. Flavours of blackberry, blueberry, plum and chocolate with a hint of tobacco. A pleasant mouthfeel with smooth tannins. 90 Points
Haywire Pinot Noir 2020 ($30.99)
The Pinot Noir harvested from four distinct Okanagan vineyards was destemmed with 30% whole clusters and placed in concrete tanks and large format neutral oak. Fermentation was natural as was malolactic. Each winemaking vessel delivered different characteristics in the wine, giving options to use in the final blend. The wine was gently basket pressed and aged for 10 months before bottling unfiltered and unfined
Alc: 12% | pH: 3.69 | TA: 5.6 | RS: 0.2
A seductively smooth pinot. Cherry and violet aromas. On the palate, stewed cherries, raspberry, earthy forest floor, supple tannins and an elegant long finish. 91 points.
Haywire Garnet Valley Pinot Noir 2020($35.99)
The Pinot is from The 320-acre Garnet Valley Ranch, located in Summerland, BC which was purchased by Okanagan Crush Pad in 2012. The organic grapes were destemmed and placed into concrete and open-top stainless tanks for native yeast fermentation, then aged on lees for 10 months before being bottled unfiltered.
Alc: 12.0%| pH: 3.5 | TA: 5.3 | RS: 0.0
The Pinot is bone-dry and definitely food-friendly. Cherries, blackberries and tobacco on the nose. Flavours of cherry, cranberry and white pepper. Medium body with moderate tannins and a refreshing touch of bitterness on the finish. 91 points.
To purchase these premium BC wines please visit the Okanagan Crush Pad website.